A different kind of loss for Jose Altuve

The joy with which Jose Altuve normally plays the game temporarily has been replaced by physical and emotional pain resulting from a dislocated jaw injury, right, suffered in a collision Monday and the death of his grandmother, which will keep the second baseman away from the team until Saturday. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle)

DETROIT — Marwin Gonzalez sent Jose Altuve a text message but didn’t want to call. The Astros second baseman’s grandmother had just died and the club’s shortstop — a close friend and infield companion of Altuve’s — felt his teammate needed to be alone during a time of personal pain.

Veteran shortstop Ronny Cedeno planned to wait until Altuve returned from Venezuela to say anything.

Astros manager Bo Porter was just glad he was around to help the best player on his team share the grief.

Altuve was partly raised in Venezuela by his grandmother. The family was close and tight. A phone call from Altuve’s father late Monday delivered the news, and a player who spent Monday’s postgame interview saying he wanted to play through a partially dislocated jaw was briefly knocked down by life.

“He’s an emotional guy, a passionate guy about pretty much every aspect of his life,” Porter said. “When tragedy and stuff happens, the person that it happens to, a lot of times their mind is not even at a place where they can even take care of something most people are seeing as simple. They become clouded.”

Altuve went through the cloud, telling Porter he was willing to stay with a struggling Astros club that entered a Tuesday matchup against the Tigers having lost five consecutive games and 11 of 13. The Astros’ first-year manager insisted Altuve fly to Venezuela to be with his family.

The club’s lone All-Star from a season ago is expected to return to the Astros’ lineup Saturday in Pittsburgh.

“I said, ‘No. You’re going home. Because even if you were to stay here, your mind, your heart, your soul would be back there with your family. And at the end of the day, if you don’t go, you actually probably will regret it as time (goes) on,’ ” said Porter, who credited general manager Jeff Luhnow and bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte for helping ease Altuve’s transition.

Lone bright spot dims

There’s been little joy for the Astros through 40 games.

Most players are fully aware of the team’s slow major league rebuild and what the revamp entails. The club entered Tuesday ranked last in the majors in key pitching statistics such as ERA, quality starts and batting average against; was 24th in OBP and first in offensive strikeouts; and had won only three times since April 24.

Altuve creates his own joy. He’s the club’s best hitter, most exciting defender and is on target for his second consecutive All-Star appearance. The 23-year-old from Maracay, Venezuela, also has become a crucial link in a young locker room lacking proven veterans and trying to carry its wavering spring-training enthusiasm into June.

Pregame, Altuve often is found in a loud circle with Latin American teammates like Carlos Corporan, Gonzalez and Cedeno. The group will watch TV on computer tablets, dance to salsa music or catch up on baseball highlights while sinking into a leather couch. Corporan, Gonzalez and Cedeno were quiet Tuesday. All were thinking about Altuve.

“I just wanted to let him know I’m with him. Hopefully God will help him get this done and get him back to playing baseball,” said Gonzalez, who played shortstop against the Tigers while Jake Elmore — called up Tuesday from Class AAA Oklahoma City — filled Altuve’s position in the field.

He added: “He’s always playing around and making jokes, and we have a really good relationship. The clubhouse is kind of empty right now.”

What will the Venezuela-born Gonzalez miss most until Altuve returns?

The Astros shortstop turned his right hand into a “V,” then quickly snapped it several times like a duck’s bill.

“He’s talking, talking, talking all day, all game,” Gonzalez joked. “So that’s going to be different, because I feel comfortable around him.”

Distance makes it worse

Cedeno shared Altuve’s loss. Six years ago, the nine-year veteran lost his grandmother. Cedeno still hasn’t recovered. Like Altuve and Gonzalez, Cedeno is from Venezuela. Like Altuve, Cedeno knows life and family sometimes can erase the joy of baseball. Even for the best, most energetic and most upbeat player normally wearing an Astros uniform.

“It’s tough when your family’s so far away. … It’s very tight, his family. It’s very sad. Very hard,” Cedeno said. “This is the life. Someday you live, someday you’re gone. I’m really sorry for him, and I’ve got his back. Great teammate. Great kid.”

Photo: Duane Burleson / Getty Images

Image 1of/36

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 36

<center><strong>May 15: Astros 7, Tigers 5</center></strong>
Brandon Barnes goes up against the wall to catch a fly ball hit by Miguel Cabrera for the final out.

<center><strong>May 15: Astros 7, Tigers 5</center></strong>
Brandon Barnes goes up against the wall to catch a fly ball hit by Miguel Cabrera for the final out.

Photo: Duane Burleson / Getty Images

Image 2 of 36

Brandon Barnes leads the team during their postgame handshakes after defeating Detroit in the series finale.

Brandon Barnes leads the team during their postgame handshakes after defeating Detroit in the series finale.